Israel Adesanya pushes for Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje: ‘It would feed countries’

Israel Adesanya has weighed in on the post-title landscape at lightweight, suggesting that newly crowned undisputed champion Justin Gaethje should prioritize a fight with Conor McGregor over his technical alternatives—a matchup Adesanya believes would transcend sport and generate transformative financial returns.

Gaethje claimed the lightweight crown on Sunday with a shocking upset of previously undefeated Ilia Topuria at the UFC's White House event. McGregor, meanwhile, is set to return from a leg break suffered at UFC 264 against Max Holloway on July 11 at welterweight. That comeback bout carries its own narrative weight: McGregor and Holloway previously fought in 2013 when both were rising featherweights, with McGregor taking a decision—one he earned while tearing his ACL. Both went on to become UFC champions, though McGregor became the sport's biggest crossover star.

Adesanya, speaking on the MightyCast, acknowledged the storylines at play but made clear where the real commercial opportunity lies. "I think Conor and Gaethje would feed families, it would feed fucking countries," he said, emphasizing that a McGregor-Gaethje pairing would dwarf the alternatives. While Gaethje has unfinished business with Holloway—Holloway knocked him out with a last-second shot at UFC 300—Adesanya framed McGregor as the fight that matters most for business.

Adesanya also questioned whether Holloway is the ideal return opponent for McGregor, suggesting Michael Chandler, who has waited years for a McGregor showdown, might have been wiser. Arman Tsarukyan, the No. 1 lightweight contender with a 12-fight UFC record, technically deserves the next title shot, but Adesanya predicted the UFC would opt for the narrative-rich and revenue-maximizing McGregor or Holloway matchup instead, likely by year's end.